Risk factors are traits that increase the likelihood that an individual will develop cancer. They can include diet, inherited (genetic) traits, and exposure to cancer-causing agents in the environment.
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Race
Any man can develop prostate cancer, but for reasons that are not clearly understood, African-American men are twice as likely as white men to develop prostate cancer. Incidence rates are lower among Asian and American Indian men.
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Age
A man's risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. The disease can occur at any age, but it is most often found in men older than 50, and more than 75 percent of tumors are found in men over age 65.
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Family History
A family history of prostate cancer may also increase a man's risk of developing the disease, particularly if he has a number of close relatives who were diagnosed with prostate cancer or if any relatives were younger than 60 at the time of diagnosis. Such inherited predispositions might be responsible for about 5 to 10 percent of all prostate cancers, according to recent genetic studies.
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Diet
Studies also suggest that a high-fat diet may increase the risk of prostate cancer, and that a diet rich in vegetables, particularly cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collard and mustard greens, horseradish, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, and watercress) is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
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Increasing Incidence
The incidence of prostate cancer has nearly doubled over the past 20 years. This may possibly be due to the fact that deaths from heart disease have declined in recent decades, meaning more men are living longer, into the decades when prostate cancer risk is highest.
